Sunday Roundup

photo courtesy Mark Kirsch

It's been a long harsh winter throughout the country this year, but the swallows always fly back to Capistrano, just as the buzzards return to Hinckley Ohio, and here in Western New York State we have our first signs of spring as well. In our neighborhood we tap the sugar maples to make syrup. Can warm spring weather be far behind? Get those bikes ready to go!

News
The CyclingNews reports the French cycling federation has made the unlikely request that the UCI executive board resign. FFC president Jean Pitallier invoked images of the storming of the Bastille in a speech made before the beginning of stage six of Paris-Nice in which he said the executive board should resign due to its threatened sanctions against teams participating in the race. In a "counter punch" the UCI has suspended all official contact with AIGCP, the International Association of Professional Cycling Teams, due to its recommendation that teams participate in Paris-Nice despite the UCI's advice not to.

The VeloNews reports a protest staged by the peloton before Paris-Nice today. It was in support of Kevin Van Impe who was asked for a test sample as he was planning the funeral of his infant son. Many riders, though happy that cycling is endeavoring to be as clean and above board as possible, are concerned that the doping controls lack consistency and invade too much of the cyclists' time. They are not, after all, gangsters.

Ohio.com proves that little things like "details" don't really matter much when you're trying to get a reaction to a headline. "Taxpayers to Pay for Landis Defense" insinuates that we have footed the bill not only for USADA's prosecution of the case, but also for all of Floyd Landis' defense as well. Let's never let the truth get in the way of "journalistic" sensationalism. Landis has enough on his plate without being stoned by angry US taxpayers. They are getting hammered in comments.